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CORRESPONDENCES 



CHILDREN OF THE NEW CHURCH. 



By SAMPSON REED 

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Published by direction of the Committee of the Convention on 
Moral and Religious Instruction. 



BOSTON : 

PUBLISHED BY OTIS CLAPP. 

1839. 






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Exchange 
Univ. <rf MiA» 

NOV as ia ** 



The following pages were first read to the Mount 
Vernon New Church Sabbath School, and are pub- 
lished in the hope that they may be generally useful. 
If they are adapted to the states of children, they 
will be read by them with more or less delight ; and 
I would recommend that the attention be not called 
to the questions, till the first pleasures of recep- 
tion are passing away, and the book is beginning 
to be an old one. The questions may then be useful 
in fixing the instruction which has been received in 
the memory. Should these " Correspondences" be 
found to be adapted to the states of children and 
the wants of the Church, I hope to be able to add 
some on other subjects. S. R. 

Boston, Nov. 18, 1838. 



THE SUN. 



THE SUN CORRESPONDS TO THE LORD. 



What a glorious object is the Sun ! 
How brightly and how warmly it shines ! 
How it seems to cause every thing to 
rejoice by its influence ! When it with- 
draws its shining it is night, and if we 
did not know that it would rise again, 
how sad we should be ! And then, too, 
when its heat is lessened, as in winter, 

To what does the sun correspond ? 

How does the sun shine, and what is said of its 
influence ? 

What causes the night ? 

What is the consequence when the sun's heat is 
lessened ? 

1* 



D THE SUtf. 

how cold and dreary every thing be- 
comes ! And this, when only a part of 
the heat of the sun is taken away from 
us. Should we be deprived of all of it, 
we could not live an instant. 

We have perhaps some of us seen 
men or children who are blind ; and if we 
have, we have noticed how sad they 
look. The look of sadness in their faces 
cannot be described. It is a dreadful 
thing to be deprived of the light, or of 
the power of seeing ; and it would be 
still more dreadful to be deprived of the 
heat of the sun. 

Although the sun is so necessary to 
our life and comfort, there are many men 
and children so thoughtless, that they 

What would be the effect if the sun gave us no 
heat? 

What is said of blind persons ? 

Which is the most important, heat or light? 

What is said of the thoughtlessness of some per 
sons respecting the sun ? 






THE SUN. 7 

pass their lives in the world without 
thinking about its use to them. Because 
it shines every day, they think nothing 
about it. Should it not rise in the morn- 
ing, they would begin to feel the loss of 
it. But the common gifts of Providence 
are not regarded by them. 

Now there is a sun in the spiritual 
world, which warms and enlightens our 
spirits, just as the sun of the natural 
world does our bodies. This is the sun 
which the angels see. Without its rays, 
we could not love our parents nor each 
other ; neither could we see nor under- 
stand what our instructers teach us if it 
did not shine into our minds. It has 

Why do they not think about the sun's use to them ? 

Is there a sun in the spiritual world ? 

How does this spiritual sun affect our spirits ? 

By whom is this spiritual sun seen ? 

"What causes you to love your parents and each 
other ? 

What causes you to understand what you are 
taught ? 



8 THE SUN. 

always shone upon us, ever since we 
were born. But we are very apt to 
be unmindful of its influence, just as 
thoughtless persons are of that of the 
sun of this world. 

In the spring, when the sun begins to 
warm the animals and the earth, what a 
wonderful change takes place ! The 
little birds, which had been out of sight, 
suddenly make their appearance. We 
hardly know where they come from. 
And when they appear, how sweetly 
they sing, and how happy they are! 
And this, because the sun is beginning 
to warm them. Just so, it is because 
the Sun of the spiritual world shines 
upon us, that we love each other and are 

How long has this spiritual sun shone upon us ? 

What change is spoken of in the spring ? 

What seems to cause this change, and to make 
the birds so happy ? 

What corresponding effect does the spiritual sun 
produce on us ? 



THE SUN. 9 

happy, and wish to sing and dance. 
This Sun warms our hearts, and makes 
us glad, and then we sing. 

There are birds also in heaven, and 
w r hen the angels love each other, and 
are talking wisely, they fly about among 
the branches of the trees, and sing most 
sweetly. But if it was possible for the 
angels to grow cold and selfish, these 
birds would all disappear, as our birds 
do in the winter. 

So too in the spring, the birds, 
when the sun begins to warm them, 
choose their mates. And then the mar- 
ried pair love each other tenderly, and 
select some suitable, secure place and 

"We have spoken of the birds in this world — where 
are there birds besides these ? 

When do the birds in heaven fly about and sing ? 

What would become of these birds if the angels 
should grow cold and selfish ? 

When do the birds choose their mates ? 

What is said of the married pair afterwards ? 



10 THE SUN. 

build a nest. The female then lays her 
eggs, and sits upon them, while her mate 
watches near, or goes in search of food 
for her. And when the young are 
hatched, their father and mother love 
them tenderly, even more than their 
own lives. No danger will drive them 
away. But every day they go in search 
of food for their little ones, and when 
they have found it, they bring it to their 
nest, and put it into the mouths of their 
offspring, as they open them wide to 
receive it. And when their young are 
old enough, they sometimes push them 
from their nest, that they may teach 
them to use their own wings, and to take 
care of themselves — and this they do 
with a violence so gentle, that we cannot 
help feeling that it is full of tenderness 
and love. 

All these things happen to the birds, 
when the sun warms them in the 



THE SUN. 11 

spring. It seems as if the sun produced 
such wonderful effects; but it is the 
Lord who is the cause of them. The 
sun is only the instrument by which he 
works. 

Just so, it is because the sun of the 
spiritual world shines into the hearts of 
your parents, that they love each other 
tenderly — that your father provides a 
house in which they live together, and 
that he labors through the day, that he 
may obtain w r hat is necessary for your 
mother's comfort and happiness, and for 
your own. It was from the influence of 
the sun of the spiritual world that your 
mother was led to watch over you in 

The sun of this world seems to cause the birds to 
love each other and their offspring so tenderly — who 
is really the cause ? 

What is the sun in relation to the Lord? 

"What causes your parents to love each other ? 

What does the influence of the spiritual sun cause 
your father to do for your mother and yourselves ? 



12 THE SUN". 

your cradles — that she noticed your 
slightest wants and supplied them, when 
you were helpless and ignorant — that 
she washed, and clothed, and fed you 
with unceasing care. And when you 
grow larger, and, by degrees, learn a lit- 
tle how to provide for yourselves, it is 
from the influence of this sun that your 
parents are led, by little and little, to 
lessen their care over you. As you 
grow up to be men and women, the 
Lord leads your parents to teach you to 
provide for yourselves ; just as the birds 
teach their young ones how to use their 
own wings. 

But there is this difference between 
you and the birds. As the birds forget 

What has the influence of this sun caused your 
mother to do for you ? 

How will the influence of this sun cause your pa- 
rents to treat you as you grow up to be men and 
women ? 

How do you differ from the birds ? 



THE SUN. 13 

their natural parents, they have no 
knowledge of any other. But you have 
a Father in heaven, whose care over you 
will never cease nor be diminished. It 
is true, that he also provides for the 
birds, while they are ignorant of it. But 
you can learn to see and understand his 
providence, and should love him even 
more than you have ever loved your 
father or mother. 

There are many animals, especially 
among those little ones called insects, 
which in the winter grow torpid and 
seem to be dead. As the cold weather 
comes on, they are led by Him, without 
whose care even a sparrow cannot fall to 
the ground, to seek out some safe re- 
treat, where they may be protected from 
danger, and, in some measure, from the 

What is said of some animals in the winter? 
What do these animals do when the cold weather 
comes on ? 

2 



14 THE SUN. 

cold, and prepare themselves to die for a 
season. Some penetrate into the earth, 
— others creep under a large stone, or a 
heap of dead leaves, or the moss of the 
sheltered side of an old wall, or bank. 
Others retreat under the bark of old 
trees, or into the trunk itself; and some 
make for themselves little houses, called 
cocoons ; these they spin, as the spider 
does his web, out of their own bodies, 
and by these they are protected. Your 
parents will some time show you one of 
these cocoons, that you may know what 
they are. 

As the winter comes on, and the cold 
increases, the life of these little creatures 
disappears. They lie for months with- 
out eating any thing, or even breathing 
or moving. Should you examine them 
ever so closely, you could find no signs 

What is their state ? 

How do they seem when examined ? 



THE SUN. 15 

of life. Some are frozen stiff and solid 
like pieces of ice. But when the spring 
comes and the sun begins to warm them, 
their life returns again. They begin to 
breathe and move, and come out of their 
hiding-places, and seek and find their 
food, and are active and happy. We 
sometimes have warm and sunny days 
in the middle of the winter. But the 
Lord teaches these insects better than 
to trust to these days and venture out ; 
for they would then find no suitable food, 
and the winter would again overtake 
them. But when they are warmed in 
the spring, then they come out. 

What a miracle does the sun seem to 
work on these little creatures! It is 
even so with us. If the sun of the spir- 
itual world should cease to warm us, we 

What change takes place when the sun warms 
them in the spring? 

Why do they not venture out in warm days in the 
winter ? 



16 THE SUN. 

too should die. There are seasons 
when we turn away from this sun, and 
are partially deprived of its influence ; 
and we become cold and selfish, and 
torpid and listless. But when we suffer 
it to shine upon us again, and our hearts 
are warmed, we are awakened into new 
life and are happy. 

It is true that we cannot see, with the 
eyes of our material bodies, the sun of 
the spiritual world, but if we love its in- 
fluence, we may learn much about it 
before we die; and after death, if we 
have been good, we shall see it. The 

What would become of us if the sun of the spiritual 
world should cease to warm us ? 

What is oar state when we turn away from this 
sun ? 

What is our state when we suffer it to shine on us 
again ? 

What is necessary for us to do that we may learn 
about the spiritual sun ? 

What is necessary that we may see it ? 

When shall we see it if we are good ? 



THE SUN. 17 

angels see it continually. They cannot 
turn their faces from it. Look where 
they will, it is always before them. If it 
should disappear from them an instant, 
they would be sad and sorrowful, and 
their sky would be darkened with clouds. 

In the spring, when the sun is warm, 
the trees put forth their leaves and blos- 
soms; and as the heat of the sun con- 
tinues and increases, they at length 
become laden with fruit. In the spring, 
too, the husbandman prepares his ground 
and sows his seed ; and as the sun 
warms it, it springs up, grows and is 
fruitful. 

The truths which your parents and in- 

What is always before the faces of the angels? 
What would be their state if this sun should dis- 
appear from them ? 
What change takes place in the trees in the spring \ 
When do they bear fruit ? 
When does the husbandman sow his seed ? 
What causes it to spring up and grow ? 
2* 



18 THE SUN. 

structers teach you, are to your minds, 
what the seeds of the husbandman are 
to the earth. But these truths would 
never do you any good, if the sun of the 
spiritual world did not shine, and cause 
you to love and cherish them. It is 
because this sun warms them, that they 
spring up and bear good fruit. Your 
kind and gentle treatment of those whom 
you meet, and of one another ; and your 
faithful and cheerful doing of what you 
are taught by your parents and instruct- 
ed, are the good fruits which are ripened 
by the spiritual sun. And they are far 
better and more beautiful than grapes or 
oranges. 

In the spring, when the sun warms 

To what in your minds do the seeds of the hus- 
bandman correspond? 

What is necessary that these truths may be useful 
to you ? 

What causes these truths to bear good fruit ? 

In what does this fruit consist ? 



THE SUN. 19 

the ground, what a multitude of beautiful 
flowers appear ! The earth is dressed 
like a bride adorned for her husband the 
sun, who has come forth to meet her. 
All these flowers seem to be trying to 
come into the sun's presence. Many of 
them will close up when the sun sets at 
night, as if anxious to keep their beauty 
and their fragrance for him only. In the 
morning they open again, rejoicing in 
the sun's influence. 

So too with us. All that is really 
good or beautiful in our minds or per- 
sons, is from the sun of the spiritual 
w 7 orld, and can live only in the presence 
of that sun. If we begin to be proud of 
these beautiful things, and to call them 
our own, they will vanish as the flowers 

When do the flowers appear ? 

What is said of them in relation to the sun ? 

There are beautiful things in our minds to which 
the flowers correspond — what causes these things to 
exist and to be beautiful ? 



20 THE SUN. 

close up at night. But if we suffer the 
spiritual sun to shine upon them, and see 
that it is this influence which causes 
them to live and grow, they will never 
cease to become more beautiful. 

There are many more wonderful things 
which we might learn about the suns of 
the two worlds — so many that we have 
hardly begun to learn them. We should 
never forget, that though the sun of this 
world seems to produce such great 
changes on animals and vegetables, it 
could do nothing at all, without the in- 
fluence of the Lord, through the spiritual 
sun. 

We find in the Word, that when the 
Lord was transfigured before Peter, 

What would become of these beautiful things if 
we should be proud of them ? 

When will they grow and become more beautiful ? 

When we see the effects which seem to be pro- 
duced by the natural sun, what should we be careful 
to remember ? 



THE SUN. 21 

James and John, " his face shone as the 
sun." It was the sun of the spiritual 
world which they then saw. The Lord 
is in the midst of that sun, and it is from 
him that it derives all its heat, and light, 
and splendor. 

There are many passages in the Word 
which will help us to understand this 
subject. Some are added, and your 
parents will help you to find more. 
" The Lord God is a sun and a shield ; 
the Lord will give grace and glory ; no 
good will he withhold from them that 
walk uprightly." " The sun shall be no 
more thy light by day ; neither for bright- 

What is said of the Lord when he was trans- 
figured ? 

What sun was then seen by Peter, James and 
John? 

Where is the Lord in respect to the spiritual sun ? 

Whence does it derive its heat and light ? 

Can you name any passage from the Sacred Scrip- 
tures which will help you to understand this subject? 



22 THE SVN. 

ness shall the moon give light unto thee ; 
but the Lord shall be unto thee an ever- 
lasting light, and thy God thy glory. 
Thy sun shall no more go down, neither 
shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the 
Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and 
the days of thy mourning shall be end- 
ed." " And the city had no need of the 
sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, 
for the glory of God did lighten it, and 
the Lamb is the light thereof." "In 
him was life, and the life was the light 
of men." "And his countenance was 
as the sun shineth in his strength." 
" And I saw another mighty Angel come 
down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; 
and a rainbow was upon his head, and 
his face was as it were the sun, and his 
feet as pillars of fire." By this mighty 
Angel was signified the Lord. 

You may some of you perhaps have 
seen pictures of the Lord ; and if you 



THE SUN. 23 

have, you have noticed an appearance of 
light proceeding from his countenance. 
It is because he is indeed the fountain of 
spiritual heat and light, in which are love 
and wisdom, that those who made these 
pictures were led to paint them in this 
way. 

Perhaps, too, some of you have seen 
a picture of the sun of this world, and if 
you have, you have probably noticed the 
appearance of a face in it. I think it is 
because the Sun corresponds to the 
Lord, and is an image of his glory, that 
men have been led to make such a pic- 
ture. 

How is the Lord represented in pictures ? 
Why are men led to make such pictures ? 
How is the natural sun represented in pictures ? 
What is supposed to be the cause of this represen- 
tation ? 



HEAT. 



HEAT AND FIRE CORRESPOND TO LOVE. 



I have told you some of the many- 
things which are to be learned about 
the suns of the two worlds — the world 
we live in now, and the world we shall 
live in after we die, where the angels 
live. The sun of this world shines upon 
our bodies, and gives us heat and light ; 
but the sun of the spiritual world shines 
upon the angels, and gives them heat 

To what does heat correspond ? 
What two suns have been spoken of? 
What sun shines on our bodies ? 
From what do the angels receive their heat and 
light ? 



26 HEAT. 

and light. The sun of the spiritual 
world also shines upon our spirits, and 
warms and enlightens them, as the sun 
of this world does our bodies ; and we 
may learn much about this spiritual sun, 
and feel its influence before we are per- 
mitted to see it. 

There are many men and women who 
do not know that there is a spiritual sun ; 
and, when they are told of it, they be- 
lieve nothing about it. And there are 
many so wicked, that they do not love 
the influence of this spiritual sun, be- 
cause they do not love the Lord nor one 
another. But you should seek to be 
warmed by it, and pray to the Lord that 

What sun shines on our spirits ? 

What may we do in regard to the spiritual sun 
before we see it ? 

Do all men know that there is a spiritual sun ? 

Why do not some persons love the influence of this 
sun ? 

What ought you to seek in regard to it ? 



HEAT. 27 

he will cause his face to shine upon you 
and warm you more and more. And if 
you are good children, , and keep the 
commandments of the Lord, and do as 
your parents and instructers teach you, 
the spiritual sun will warm you more and 
more. 

You read in the Sacred Scripture, 
that when the Lord was on the earth, 
he took little children in his arms and 
blessed them. He blessed them with 
his lips, and he also blessed them by 
giving them good and warm affections. 
You cannot now see him as those little 
children did, but he is still very near you. 
You can see one another ; but the Lord, 
whom you cannot see, is much nearer to 

What is necessary on your part that you may be 
warmed by this sun ? 

How did the Lord treat little children when he 
was on the earth ? 

How did he bless them ? 

What is said of his nearness to you ? 



28 HEAT. 

you than you are to one another. He 
watches over you every instant. If you 
love one another, it is because he causes 
his face to shine upon you, and gives 
you good affections. If you feel bright 
and happy, and understand what you are 
taught, it is because his spiritual sun is 
shining upon you and giving you light. 

I will now tell you something which 
is very wonderful, and which may make 
you feel that the Lord is always very 
near to you. You know that your bodies 
are always warm. If you take each 
other by the hand, you will find each 
other's hands warm. If you kiss one 
another's cheeks, you will find each 
other's cheeks warm. Now it is not the 
sun of this world which keeps you warm, 

What is he now doing for you ? 
What is said of the warmth of your bodies ? 
By whom and by what means are you kept 
warm ? 



HEAT. 29 

but the Lord by means of his spiritual 
sun. 

There are some things about you 
which seem to be warmed only by the 
sun of this world ; but your bodies are 
much warmer than these. When you 
die and go away into the spiritual world, 
your bodies, as soon as you have left 
them, will grow cold and stiff. It is 
your spirit which keeps your body 
warm, and it is the Lord who keeps 
your spirit warm. He gives you love, 
and good and warm affections, and these 
warm both the spirit and the body ; but 
they warm the spirit first. Must not the 
Lord be very near to you, who causes 
his spiritual sun to shine upon you, and 

How may you know that it is not the sun of this 
world which keeps you warm ? 
What keeps your bodies warm ? 
Who keeps your spirit warm ? 
How does the Lord do this ? 

3* 



30 HEAT. 

keeps you warm every instant, day and 
night, both when you are awake and 
when you are asleep? 

Some of you may have thought that 
you are kept warm by your clothes. 
But it is not so. The clothes do not 
give you any new heat, but only keep 
the warmth which the Lord gives you 
from passing away too quickly. 

When there is a fire in a good tight 
room, it is much hotter and will keep 
warm much longer than it would if all 
the doors and windows were opened. 
This is because the doors and windows, 
when they are shut, keep the heat from 
passing away out of the room. Just so 
your clothes keep the heat from passing 
away from your bodies; but it is the 

What does he do for you every instant ? 

Have you ever thought that your clothes kept you 
warm? 

In what way do your clothes keep you from being 
cold? 

To what are your clothes compared in this respect ? 



HEAT. 31 

Lord who gives you this warmth, and 
that continually. It is also the Lord 
who warms the hearts of your parents, 
and causes them to love you and provide 
these good clothes, without which you 
could not be kept warm and comfortable. 
Sometimes, when you are good and 
obedient, you have warmer and better 
affections, and feel brighter and happier 
than at others. When you read the 
Sacred Scripture, the Lord is very near 
to you, causing his face to shine upon 
you; and that is what makes you feel 
kind and gentle and happy. The angels 
too are with you, watching over you, and 
they love you better and feel nearer to 

Who leads your parents to provide you with 
clothes ? 

What is said of your affections and thoughts when 
you are good and obedient ? 

When is the Lord very near to you ? 

How does his presence cause you to feel ? 

Who are guarding and watching over you ? 



32 HEAT. 

you when you read the Sacred Scrip- 
ture, than they do at other times. They 
are much affected when little children 
read the Word, and they understand 
what you are reading about, much better 
than you do yourselves. 

The angels always look on the face of 
the Lord and see his spiritual sun. They 
are warmed themselves, and love each 
other and little children, and when they 
are very near you, as they are when you 
love to read the Word, you feel their 
influence making you kind and affection- 
ate to each other. 

There are many things which you 
might learn about heat which would help 
to show you how it corresponds to love. 
Only think how the heat seems to cause 

What is said of the angels when you read the Sa- 
cred Scripture? 

On what do the angels always look ? 
How does their influence affect you ? 



HEAT. 33 

every thing to live and grow. In the 
spring, when the trees are warmed, the 
sap begins to ascend. They put forth 
leaves and blossoms, and begin to grow, 
and continue growing till autumn. Then 
the frost comes and their leaves fall, and 
they seem to die till the warm w r eather 
returns again. 

If you should look at the trunk of a 
tree after it is cut down, you would find 
circles in the wood, which would show 
you how much the tree grew in the sea- 
son from spring to fall, when it was 
warmed by the heat of the sun. If you 
should examine it very closely, you 
might perhaps count these circles, and 
be able to tell how many years old the 

What seems to cause every thing to live and grow ? 

What is said of the trees when they are warmed 
in the spring ? 

What is the effect of the frost on them ? 

How may you tell how much a tree grew in the 
warm part of a year, from spring to fall ? 



34 HEAT. 

tree was. Now the reason that heat 
causes the trees and the grass to grow, 
is that it corresponds to love, and is the 
instrument by which love works. 

It is the Lord's love which causes you 
to grow. This love causes your spirits 
to grow and your bodies to grow. The 
Lord causes his face to shine upon you, 
and this enables you to love him, and 
your parents, and one another, and to 
love to learn w T hat you are taught, and 
to live according to what you learn to be 
right. And then your spirits grow. 
They grow better and wiser. You learn 
something new every day ; and you will 
love to learn, and will learn very easily, 

Why does heat cause the trees and grass to grow ? 
What causes you to grow ? 
What does the Lord's love enable you to do ? 
If you do these things what is the consequence on 
our spirits ? 

How do your spirits grow ? 
What will enable you to learn easily? 



HEAT. 35 

if you love the Lord and one another. 
And if you are good, and cheerful, and 
happy children, and shun every thing that 
is evil, as sin, and do what you are taught, 
and always try to be useful and make 
others happy; when you die and go 
away into the spiritual w T orld, you will 
have bright and beautiful faces, and clean 
and healthy bodies, which the Lord had 
been causing to grow while you lived in 
this world, and thought nothing about it. 
You have heard that when the birds 
have built their nests and laid their eggs, 
the female sits upon them. She sits 
upon them for days — perhaps weeks. 
She never leaves them, except to obtain 
food, and is always careful to return be- 

If you are good, how will your faces and bodies 
appear after you die ? 

When does the Lord provide these spiritual bodies 
for you ? 

After the birds have built their nests and laid their 
eggs, what is done by the female ? 



36 HEAT. 

fore they are cold. For she keeps them 
warm with the heat of her body ; and it 
is this heat which causes the young to 
live and grow till, at last, they burst the 
shells of the eggs, and come out beau- 
tiful little birds. It is because heat cor- 
responds to love, that it produces such 
wonderful effects. And when the little 
ones have been hatched, their mother 
covers them with her wings and feathers, 
and preserves their life by keeping them 
warm. 

Just so, it is the Lord's love which 
has created you, and kept you alive from 
your birth, and has raised you up from 
the helplessness of infancy. Thus it is 
written of the Lord — "He shall cover 
thee with his feathers and under his 

What effect does the heat of her body produce on 
the eggs ? 

Why does heat produce this effect ? 

How are the little ones protected afterwards ? 

What has the Lord's love done for you ? 



HEAT. 37 

wings shalt thou trust." And the Lord 
himself says of Jerusalem, "How often 
would I have gathered thy children to- 
gether even as a hen gathereth her chick- 
ens under her wings, and ye would not." 

By Jerusalem is signified the church. 
In this case it signifies that church, or 
representative of a church, which had 
existed with the Jews. The Lord de- 
sired to gather her children together, but 
he was rejected and crucified. But 
there is now a New Jerusalem or new 
church, and the Lord is gathering her 
children together; and her children 
should love nothing so much as to be 
gathered together by him: 

It is the Lord's love which gathers 

What did the Lord say of Jerusalem ? 
What in this passage is signified by Jerusalem ? 
How was the Lord treated by the Jews ? 
What is meant by the New Jerusalem ? 
What is the Lord doing for her ? 
What gathers you together ? 
4 



38 HEAT. 

you together. He gathers you together 
by causing you to love one another — 
and you are gathered together under his 
wings, when you are sensible that it is 
his love which warms and supports and 
protects you, and which gives you the 
love which you feel for each other. 

There are many passages in the 
Word which may help you to under- 
stand how heat and fire correspond to 
love. You know that the ten command- 
ments were given to Moses in Mount 
Sinai, and when these commandments 
were about to be revealed, it is written : 
" And Mount Sinai was altogether in a 
smoke, because the Lord descended 
upon it in fire ; and the smoke thereof 
ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and 

How does the Lord gather you together ? 
When are you gathered together under his wings? 
Can you name any passages in the Sacred Scrip- 
ture in which fire corresponds to love ? 



HEAT. 39 

the whole mount quaked greatly." And 
in another place it is written: "The 
Lord talked with you face to face out of 
the midst of the fire." " These words 
the Lord spake unto all your assembly 
in the mount, out of the midst of the 
fire, of the cloud, and of the thick dark- 
ness, with a great voice ; and he added 
no more ; and he wrote them on two 
tables of stone and delivered them unto 
me. And it came to pass that when ye 
heard the voice out of the midst of the 
darkness, (for the mountain did burn 
with fire), that ye came near unto me, 
even all the heads of your tribes, and 
your elders ; and ye said, Behold, the 
Lord our God hath shewed us his glory 
and his greatness, and we have heard 
his voice out of the midst of the fire : 
we have seen this day that God doth 
talk with man and he liveth. Now, 
therefore, why should we die ? for this 



40 HEAT. 

great fire will consume us ; if we hear 
the voice of the Lord our God any more, 
then we shall die. For who is there of 
all flesh that hath heard the voice of the 
living God, speaking out of the midst of 
the fire as we have, and live." 

These things took place on Mount 
Sinai because fire corresponds to love ; 
and the commandments being given out 
of the midst of the fire, shows us that 
these commandments proceed from the 
Lord's love. These commandments you 
have learned. You should always re- 
member that they are full of love, and 
that the more you love and keep them, 
the more the Lord will cause his face to 
shine upon you. The voice of the living 

Why did the things which are described take place 
on Mount Sinai ? 

What are we taught by the commandments being 
given out of the midst of the fire ? 

What will the Lord do, if you love and keep the 
commandments ? 



HEAT. 41 

God will speak to you out of the midst 
of the fire, and cause you to live. The 
fire from which the commandments pro- 
ceeded, was said to burn even to the 
heart of heaven, because the love of the 
Lord, with which the commandments 
are filled, gives life to all the angels of 
the heavens. 

Speaking of Jerusalem, it is written : 
" For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her 
a wall of fire round about, and will be 
the glory in the midst of her." By Je- 
rusalem is signified the church ; and by 
the wall of fire, the Lord's love which 
protects and supports it. 

In the eighteenth chapter of the first 
book of Kings, it is written : " Then said 
Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, 

Why was the fire on Mount Sinai said to burn 
even to the heart of heaven ? 
What is signified by Jerusalem ? 
What by the wall of fire ? 

4* 



42 HEAT. 

remain a prophet of the Lord; but 
Baal's prophets are four hundred and 
fifty men. Let them therefore give us 
two bullocks ; and let them choose one 
bullock for themselves and cut it in 
pieces and lay it on wood, and put no 
fire under; and I will dress the other 
bullock and lay it on wood, and put no 
fire under ; and call ye on the name of 
your gods, and I will call on the name 
of the Lord ; and the God that answ r er- 
eth by fire, let him be God. And all 
the people answered and said, It is well 
spoken." 

I wish you to read the 18th chapter 
of the first book of Kings. The things 
here described took place because fire 
corresponds to love. The God that an- 
swers by fire, is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Why did those things take place which are de- 
scribed in the 18th chapter of the first book of Kings ? 
Who is the God that answers by fire ? 



HEAT. 43 

He loves us, and gives us power to love 
him and our neighbors ; and if we look 
to him and keep his commandments, he 
will fill our hearts with his love. It is 
for this reason that he is said to baptize 
with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 

It is written in the sixth chapter of 
Leviticus — " And the fire upon the altar 
shall be burning in it ; it shall not be put 
out." And also, " The fire shall ever 
be burning upon the altar ; it shall never 
go out." This was commanded the 
Israelites on account of the correspon- 
dence of fire. By the altar is signified 
the Lord, and by the fire on the altar, 
the Lord's love. This fire was never 
permitted to go out, because the Lord's 

What is meant by his answering by fire ? 
Why is the Lord said to baptize with fire ? 
Why was the command to the Israelites that the 
fire should never go out on the altar ? 
What is signified by the altar ? 
What by the fire on the altar ? 



44 HEAT. 

love never ceases. Some heathen na- 
tions also kept a perpetual fire in their 
temples ; and they were led to do this 
from the correspondence of fire. 

The Lord did not suffer the priests to 
take fire from any other place except the 
altar, when they offered incense. It is 
written in the tenth chapter of Leviticus : 
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of 
Aaron, took either of them his censer, 
and put fire therein, and put incense 
thereon, and offered strange fire before 
the Lord, which he commanded them 
not. And there went out fire from the 
Lord and devoured them, and they died 
before the Lord." 

What by the fire never being suffered to go out ? 

"Why have some heathen nations been led to keep 
a perpetual fire in their temples ? 

From what were the priests required to take the 
fire when they offered incense ? 

What was the strange fire taken by the sons of 
Aaron ? 



HEAT. 45 

This strange fire was fire which was 
not taken from the altar; by which is 
signified love which does not proceed 
from the Lord, which is self-love. I 
have not told you of this strange fire be- 
fore, and I do not wish to say much 
about it. Whenever you pray to the 
Lord, you should always wish to be 
warmed by his love. When you are led 
to be kind and to do good to one 
another, you should always remember 
that it is the Lord who is giving you 
kind feelings and good affections. The 
fire will then be taken from the altar. 

But if you feel angry with other child- 
ren, or despise them, or wish to make 
them serve you, instead of wishing to be 
useful to them, you may know that this 

What is signified by this strange fire ? 

When the fire is taken from the altar, what will 
you wish when you pray ? 

What will you acknowledge respecting the affec- 
tion vou feel for each other ? 



46 HEAT. 

strange fire is creeping into your spirits. 
You should then pray to the Lord to 
put this fire away from you, and en- 
deavor to shun it as sinful. For if you 
indulge in angry passions and wicked 
feelings and thoughts, they will destroy 
what is good and lovely in your minds, 
as the fire consumed the sons of Aaron. 
Wicked men and spirits love themselves 
and hate and despise others ; and this 
self-love is the " fire which is said to be 
prepared for the devil and his angels." 

"When may you know that this strange fire is in 
your spirits ? 

What should you then do ? 

What will be the effect of indulging evil passions ? 

What is meant by the fire " prepared for the devil 
and his angels" ? 



LIGHT 



LIGHT CORRESPONDS TO TRUTH. 



You know, children, that heat and 
light are usually found together. When 
a fire is made of wood or coal, it warms 
us, and it also sends forth light. The 
sun of this world is pure fire. It is full 
of heat and light, and it is constantly 
sending them forth to cause every thing 
to live, and grow, and be beautiful. 

The sun, you remember, corresponds 
to the Lord, and its heat to his love. 

To what does light correspond ? 
What is usually found with heat ? 
What is the sun of this world ? 
What is the sun always sending forth ? 
To what does the sun correspond ? 
To what does heat correspond ? 
5 



50 LIGHT. 

The light corresponds to his truth or 
wisdom ; and the Lord is always im- 
parting his love and wisdom to the an- 
gels, and to good men and children in 
this world, as the sun is always sending 
forth its rays of heat and light. He also 
wishes to impart them to evil spirits and 
wicked men, but they are unwilling to 
receive them. 

As the heat and light go forth to- 
gether from the sun of this world, so 
does the Lord impart both spiritual heat 
and light to the angels and to our spirits. 
He always seeks to cause us to love 
himself and one another, and also to 
make us wise and intelligent. But we 
are not always willing to be warmed and 
led by him. 

What is the Lord always imparting ? 
To whom does he impart them ? 
How does he impart them ? 
What is the Lord always endeavoring to cause us 
to do ? 



LIGHT. 51 

The angels suffer the Lord to give 
them, at the same time, both good and 
warm affections, and true and bright 
thoughts. And if we are good and obe- 
dient to the commandments of the Lord, 
w r e shall always be drawing near the 
state of these happy angels. Perhaps 
we shall sometimes feel humble, and 
kind, and gentle, and desirous of doing 
good, and not know how to act; and 
then we must look to the Lord, and he 
will teach us what we ought to do. 
Perhaps at other times we shall see 
clearly what we ought to do, and yet be 
unwilling to do it, but have bad and 
wicked feelings, which are opposed to 
our duties — and then we must go straight 

What do the angels suffer the Lord to give them ? 

What is necessary for us that we may be drawing 
near the state of the angels ? 

What must we do when we feel kind and humble, 
but do not know how we ought to act ? 

What must we do when we see our duty but feel 
unwilling to do it? 



52 LIGHT. 

forward and do what we ought, because 
we know that it is the Lord's will ; and 
he will afterwards give us better feelings, 
so that we shall take pleasure in doing 
good. 

If we look to the Lord for light when 
we feel kind and humble, but do not 
know what we ought to do ; and if at 
other times we do what we know to be 
right, because it is the Lord's will, even 
though our own wills are opposed to it ; 
we shall be every day drawing nearer 
the state of those happy angels, who 
love nothing so well as to do good to 
others, and who see nothing so clearly 
as the way to do it. And then we shall 
receive both the heat and light of the 

For what reason should we do our duty ? 
What will the Lord give us after we have done it ? 
What two things then are necessary for us that 
we may draw near the angels ? 
What do the angels love most? 
What do they see most clearly ? 



LIGHT. 53 

spiritual sun together, as the Lord loves 
to have us. 

We have seen how heat causes all 
the trees and vegetables to grow, and 
flourish, and be fruitful ; but I have not 
told you before that these also need the 
light. If they are deprived of the light, 
even if they are kept ever so warm, they 
grow pale and sickly, and bear no beau- 
tiful flowers, nor good and wholesome 
fruit. It is so with our spirits. If we 
loved each other ever so much, we 
should still be miserable if we had not 
truth to teach us how we ought to treat 

How does the Lord love to have us receive the 
heat and light of the spiritual sun ? 

What causes the trees and vegetables to grow ? 

What do they need besides heat? 

What is the consequence if they are deprived of 
the light ? 

Love causes our spirits to grow — what else is ne- 
cessary ? 

What would be our state without truth ? 

What does truth teach us ? 



54 LIGHT. 






one another, and in what way and by 
what actions we might make each other 
better and happier. We should then be 
like these pale, sickly plants, which only 
need the light to make them strong and 
beautiful. We should have good and 
kind feelings, but should be useless and 
unhappy because we should not know 
what to do. 

But trees and plants, when they are 
deprived of the light, are not only pale 
and sickly, but grow in ugly and mis- 
shapen forms, losing all their fair propor- 
tions and beauty. So also with our 
spirits. It is the truth which gives to 
them their true form, and which makes 
our minds fair, and lovely, and strong, 
and healthy. 

In heaven the angels are very beauti- 

What should we resemble without truth ? 
What causes the plants to be fair and beautiful ? 
What effect does the truth have on our spirits ? 



LIGHT. 55 

ful. They are very much more beau- 
tiful than any men or women in this 
world. The expression of their faces is 
most sweet, and their forms and motions 
most graceful and pleasing. And the 
angels are so beautiful because they love 
the truth ; for it is the truth which gives 
them their beauty and gracefulness. 
But evil spirits have ugly and hideous 
faces, and monstrous and misshapen 
bodies. And this is because they hate 
the truth, and will not follow it. They 
love darkness rather than light, and thus 
become like those deformed plants, on 
which the light does not shine. 

As heat alone without light is not suf- 
ficient to make the trees and plants grow 

What is said of the beauty of the angels ? i 
What of the expression of their faces ? 
Why are the angels so beautiful? 
What is the appearance of evil spirits ? 
Why are they so monstrous ? 
What are they like ? 



56 LIGHT. 

and flourish, so neither is light sufficient 
without heat. There seems to be as 
much light in the winter as there is in 
the summer; but, as we have seen al- 
ready, it is not till the sun warms the 
earth in the spring, that every thing be- 
gins to grow and be fruitful. So also 
with our spirits. We may learn many 
truths and think ourselves quite wise, 
but unless we suffer the Lord to warm 
us also, and give us good affections, and 
unless we live according to the truths 
which we have learned, we shall be like 
trees in the winter, which bear no fruit 
nor even leaves. We should therefore 
always strive to be both warmed and 
enlightened by the Lord— to suffer him 
to give us both good affections and true 

What is necessary besides light to cause the plants 
to grow ? 

What is necessary besides truth that our spirits 
may grow ? 

What should we always seek from the Lord ? 



LIGHT. 57 

thoughts. But we should always re- 
member, that to be good, is better than 
to be w T ise or great ; and that truth is 
useful only as it leads us to goodness. 

There are times when the Lord gives 
us more truth or light than at others. 
When we are good and obedient to his 
will, he gives us truth, because then we 
love it and are willing to follow it. And 
he gives it to us when we read the 
Word. We there find it written : " The 
entrance of thy words giveth light." 
The words which we find in the Sacred 
Scripture, are the Lord's words. Some 
of them are those which he spake when 

Which is better to be good or to be wise ? 

How is truth useful ? 

What must be our state that the Lord may give 
us truth ? 

Why does he give us truth when we are good ? 

What book must we read that we may receive 
truth ? 

Whose words do we find in the Sacred Scripture ? 



58 LIGHT. 

he was on the earth, and others are 
those which he commanded men to 
write, that they might be kept always. 

These words of the Lord are full of 
light, and when you hear or see them, 
if you are good children, they will give 
you light. And if you love the light 
which they give you, and do what it 
teaches you, when you die and go to 
heaven and live with the angels, these 
words of the Lord will still be remem- 
bered, and you will love them more and 
more, and they will shine brighter and 
brighter. 

In heaven, the angels have temples in 
which they worship the Lord. And in 
the most holy part of their temples is the 

If you love the truth and are obedient to it, with 
whom shall you live after death? 

What shall you then remember ? 

How will the Sacred Scripture be then regarded 
by you ? 

Are there temples in heaven ? 



LIGHT. 59 

Sacred Scripture ; and it there shines 
before the eyes of the angels like a great 
star, and sometimes like the sun ; and 
also from the bright radiance about it 
there appear, as it were, most beauti- 
ful rainbows. When a verse of the 
Sacred Scripture in heaven is written 
upon paper and is thrown into the air, 
the paper itself shines. These things 
take place because light corresponds to 
truth, and the Word is truth. Thus the 
Lord says, " Sanctify them through thy 
truth ; thy word is truth." 

The light by which the angels see in 
heaven, is much brighter and more beau- 
tiful than the light of the sun of this 

In what part of the temple is the Sacred Scripture ? 

How does the Word appear before the eyes of the 
angels ? 

What is the consequence when a verse of the Sa- 
cred Scripture is written on paper and thrown into 
the air ? 

Why do these things take place ? 



60 LIGHT. 

world. The light of this world is as 
darkness when compared to the light of 
heaven ; and the more the angels grow 
in goodness, and the more they love the 
truth, the brighter their light becomes, 
and the more beautiful every thing ap- 
pears. Nor do they ever have dark 
nights as we do ; but greater degrees of 
heat and light are followed by less de- 
grees, which makes their days and 
nights. 

The very air which the angels breathe, 
and in which they live, shines and 
sparkles like little diamonds and pre- 
cious stones. There is also the appear- 
ance in heaven of beautiful rainbows — 
much more beautiful than any that you 

How is the light of heaven in comparison with the 
light of this world ? 

When does the light of the angels become brighter ? 
What have they in the place of night ? 
What is the appearance of the air in heaven? 
Are there rainbows in heaven ? 



LIGHT. 61 

have ever seen in this world. The 
colors there are much more brilliant than 
any in this world, and there are some 
colors which we have never seen. 

The angels, too, have most beautiful 
scenery — trees, vines and flowers, of 
various kinds, the beauty of which we 
cannot describe, or even think of. All 
these things are from the light of heaven, 
which is from the Lord. These beauti- 
ful things are given to the angels be- 
cause they love that light, and the truth 
with which it is filled. They are there- 
fore called angels of light. But wicked 
spirits, who do not love the truth, nor do 
what the truth teaches, do not see any 
such beautiful things, but live in thick 

How are the colors in heaven compared to those 
in this world ? 
What kind of scenery have the angels ? 
Why do these beautiful things appear in heaven ? 
What are the angels called ? 
Why are they so called ? 
6 



62 LIGHT. 

darkness. They are therefore called 
angels of darkness. 

Only think how little we should be 
able to do without light. The city is 
full of streets and the country of roads, 
but if we had not light we should wan- 
der about and not know where we were, 
and not be able to see to w r ork or read, 
nor even to play, and perhaps we should 
stumble and fall. So it is with our 
spirits. It is the light of truth which 
shines on our path and shows us our 
duty. 

There are also ways in the spiritual 
world, and those men and children who 
love the Lord, and are obedient to his 
commandments, when they die and go 

What are wicked spirits called ? 

Why are they so called ? 

What enables us to walk without stumbling? 

What shows us the path of duty ? 

Are there ways in the spiritual world ? 

Who see the ways which lead to heaven ? 



LIGHT. 63 

into that world, see the ways which lead 
to heaven, and walk in them. The light 
of the spiritual sun shines and shows 
them these ways, as the light of our sun 
shows us our roads and streets. " All 
the paths of the Lord are mercy and 
truth unto such as keep his covenant 
and his testimonies." 

But those who have been wicked, 
and have not loved the Lord nor fol- 
lowed his commandments, do not see 
the ways in which the good spirits walk. 
They do not see these ways because 
they do not love the light of heaven 
which shines upon them. 

" Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, 
and the truth, and the life; no man 
cometh unto the Father but by me." It 
is also written in the Sacred Scripture, 

By what light do good spirits see these ways ? 
Who do not see the ways which lead to heaven ? 
Why do not the wicked see these ways ? 



64 LIGHT. 

that " every one that doeth evil hateth 
the light, neither cometh to the light, 
lest his deeds should be reproved. But 
he that doeth truth cometh to the light, 
that his deeds may be made manifest 
that they are wrought in God." 

Wicked men, who seek to do evil, 
even shun the light of the sun of this 
world. When they wish to do a wicked 
action, they often choose a dark night, 
and a dark place to do it in. But good 
men do their work in the day time ; and 
when the night comes they are ready to 
rest and sleep. 

In the spiritual world, wicked spirits 
hate the light of the sun of that world, 
much more than wicked men hate the 

By what passage of Scripture is this illustrated ? 
How is the light of this world sometimes regarded 
by the wicked ? 
How by the good? 
How do wicked spirits regard the light of heaven ? 



LIGHT. 65 

light in this world. Wicked spirits can- 
not endure the light of heaven. It tor- 
ments them very much, and they turn 
away from it and will not see it. 

To the angels, the light of heaven 
brings joy and gladness. It makes them 
joyful and active, as the morning light of 
the sun of this world causes the birds to 
sing, and leap, and fly about, and go 
forth in search of food for their little 
ones. In heaven, also, all the innocent 
animals receive new life from the morn- 
ing light, and delight the eyes of the 
angels with their sports. But the evil 
spirits do not see any of these innocent 
animals, but, instead of them, beasts of 

How are they affected by it ? 

How are the angels affected by the light of 
heaven? 

How are innocent animals affected by it in 
heaven ? 

What animals do the evil spirits see ? 
6* 



# 



* 



66 LIGHT. 

prey and birds of night, which love the 
darkness like themselves. 

There are many passages in the Word 
in which it is evident that light corres- 
ponds to truth. Some of these I will 
read to you. " Come let us walk in the 
light of the Lord." "While ye have 
the light believe in the light." " O send 
out thy light and thy truth; let them 
lead me." " Arise, shine, for thy light 
is come, and the glory of the Lord is 
risen upon thee." " Let your light so 
shine before men that they, seeing your 
good works, may glorify your Father 
who is in heaven." " The Lord is my 
light and my salvation." " Then spake 
Jesus unto them, saying, I am the light 
of the world ; he that followeth me shall 
not walk in darkness, but shall have the 

Wijl you name any passage in the Sacred Scrip- 
ture in which light corresponds to truth ? 



LIGHT. 67 

light of life." And in another place the 
Lord calls himself the truth. "I am 
come a light into the world that whoso- 
ever believeth on me should not abide 
in darkness." And in another place — 
" To this end was I born and for this 
cause came I into the world, that I 
should bear witness to the truth. Every 
•one that is of the truth heareth my 
voice." Of the New Jerusalem it is 
written — "her light was like a stone 
most precious." 

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who gives 
us truth or light, and we must always 
remember, that it all proceeds from him. 
In the Old Testament it is said of the 
Lord, that he covereth himself with light 
as with a garment. And in the New 
Testament it is written of the Lord, that 
" His raiment was white as the light." 

Who gives us truth or light? 



68 LIGHT. 

In the Old Testament it is said, "lift 
up the -light of thy countenance upon 
us," and "the Lord cause his face to 
shine upon thee ;" and also, "His bright- 
ness was as the light. 5 ' And in the 
New Testament it is written of the Lord, 
that "His countenance was as the sun 
shineth in his strength ;" and also, when 
he was transfigured, that " His face shone 
as the sun" — and in the Revelation, 
" His eyes were as a flame of fire." 

Many things which I have told you, I 
have learned from the books written 
by Emanuel Swedenborg. The Lord 
opened the senses of his spirit,- and en- 
abled him to see and hear things in the 
spiritual world, that he might write them 

What passages in the Sacred Scripture teach us 
that the Lord is the source of spiritual light ? 

Who has been permitted to tell us of the things of 
the spiritual world ? 

By what means was he instructed in the things of 
that world ? 



LIGHT. 69 

for our instruction. He heard the voice 
of the angels, as you hear each other's 
voices. He was permitted to see the 
sun of the spiritual world, and to per- 
ceive its heat and light, as the angels do. 
He was permitted to enter the houses in 
which the angels live, and also the tem- 
ples in which they worship the Lord. 
He has told us of the uses in which the 
angels are employed — of the garments 
with which they appear clothed — of their 
speech — their wisdom — their happiness ; 
and many other wonderful things. 

We learn from Swedenborg, that one 
of the employments of the angels is to 
take care of infants and little children. 
There are many infants and little child- 
ren who die and go into the spiritual 

What was he permitted to see and hear ? 
Of what has he told us ? 

What is spoken of as one employment of the an- 
gels? 
Where do little children go when they die ? 






70 LIGHT. 

world. The angels receive them with 
great joy, and love them more tenderly 
than their parents loved them in this 
world. These children are led by the 
angels to love the Lord and one another, 
and to shun every wicked thought and 
feeling. And as they are led and in- 
structed, they grow up to be angels. 

The angels, too, are watching over 
and guarding infants and children who 
live in this world. There are two guardian 
angels with each one of you. They 
watch all your feelings and thoughts, and 
are all the time endeavoring to draw you 
away from those that are sinful, and to 
lead you to those that are good and 

How do the angels receive and regard them ? 

To what do the angels lead them ? 

What is the effect of their being led and instructed 
by the angels ? 

What do the angels do for infants and children in 
this world ? 

How many guardian angels watch over each of us ? 

What do these angels endeavor to do ? 



LIGHT. 71 

true. But the Lord guards even these 
guardian angels, and warms them with 
his love, and enlightens them with his 
wisdom. 

What does the Lord do for the guardian angels ? 



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